AFEPASA: Serving sustainable agriculture with 128 years of experience in Sulphur products

AFEPASA specializes in Sulphur and is the oldest Sulphur manufacturer in the world. Their products are now present in over 80 countries, with 80% being utilized as fungicides, fertilizers and biostimulants. AFEPASA is now the largest agricultural Sulphur producer in Europe, and is constant growing, under the motto: “achieving customer satisfaction”.

AgroPages interviewed Manel Montaño (CEO of AFEPASA), who talked about the key roles that Sulphur plays in the sustainable agriculture, as well as the company’s development, its unique technologies and business expanding plan. He also shared his expectations on potential distributing partners.

Established in 1893, AFEPASA has now become a European leader in agricultural Sulphur products. How did AFEPASA achieve this?

Becoming a European leader was not a short journey. AFEPASA was founded 128 years ago as a family company. Nevertheless, over the last 10 years AFEPASA was transformed and modernized through a strategic plan based on the Research and Development of new agricultural solutions, as well as a global expansion plan for exporting our products to more than 80 countries in Europe, Africa and Asia. Another key factor in our growth was the fact that over the last 10 years, the company doubled the number of talented employees and multiplied the investments in the factory, which has a state-of-the-art infrastructure. I would like to highlight that we achieved steady growth, and, thanks to our investment in quality processes and workflows, we are certificated under ISO 14001, 90001, 45001 and EMAS. This year we were awarded with the Golden Medal of Sustainability by ECOVADIS.

In your view, what key roles does AFEPASA’s Sulphur play in sustainable agriculture?

Elemental Sulphur is a key player in the sustainable and organic agriculture. Firstly, as a pesticide, it is the only fungicide in the world that does not generate any resistance in powdery mildew. In addition, it can also be used as an organic pesticide. Its application is well known by all farmers, especially in vineyards, where 80% of Spanish farmers use AFEPASA’s Sulphur, as well as in around 50% of Mediterranean vineyards, as the most cost-effective solution against powdery mildew. It is also used as an acaricide. Another key point is that Elemental Sulphur is the first pesticide that 100% of the active substance comes from the circular economy.

On the other hand, as a fertilizer, after nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (the “primary macronutrients”), Sulphur is the most important “secondary macronutrient”, as recognized by the European Normative Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 in 2019. The benefit of using Elemental Sulphur with other forms of Sulphur, as sulphates, is that Elemental Sulphur acts in a slow release process to increase the soil Sulphur content without losing any product via lixiviation, improving the net profit of farmers and avoiding any environmental contamination. Elemental Sulphur also offers secondary benefits for the soil that are more important in certain conditions, as it reduces the pH of basic soils, equilibrate conductivity, and improves structure and fertility.

What advantages are offered by microbiological Sulphur over other Sulphur products? What makes Sultech^® Sulphur different from its competitors?

Sultech^® Sulphur is the fruit of many years of research, great effort for an SME like AFEPASA, with the support of the Center for Industrial Technological Development (CDTI). Its origin comes from the circular economy, through the microbial fermentation of wastewaters. There are special bacteria that can transform hydrogen sulphide (H₂S) into elemental sulphur. In our company we transform this microbiological Sulphur into Sultech^® Sulphur, and with its exclusive formulation, we can greatly improve the quality and yield of crops at a very competitive price.

In our R&D laboratory, we have developed a range of products with this type of special sulphur that offers different modes of action, always oriented towards their uses. This Sultech has two different modes of action depending on the application, either soil or foliar application.

When we talk about soil application products, such as Microsul 40S, the mode of action that we have demonstrated in laboratory tests and trials in real field conditions is the action of a biostimulant of beneficial soil microorganisms, leading to improved pH, electrical conductivity and nutrient availability, while enhancing the health of crops through the health of the soil. On the other hand, we have foliar application products, such as Triumphalis, whose mode of action is as a direct biostimulant to plants. We are different from our competitors, not only because our range of products are unique, but also because we offer farmers organic and sustainable solutions for different field issues at very affordable prices.

Apart from Sulphur, are there other products from AFEPASA that you would like to highlight?

We have a unique and broad catalogue to help farmers overcome different problems and increase crop quality and yield. One of the most serious problems affecting agriculture worldwide, which will struggle over the next years, is global warming. One of the products in our brochure that I would like to highlight is Soldefend. Soldefend will protect fruits from the sun and reduces yield losses due to sunburn, as global warming is becoming a major abiotic stress for the crops.

Where do you sell your products? Do you plan to sell them in new markets? If yes, why are you interested in these markets?

Nowadays we are selling our products in 80 countries worldwide, especially in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, and we are expanding our markets to countries such as China, India and some countries in Central and South America. We are very interested in these markets because there is increasing interest in new, high technological and sustainable agricultural solutions, for which we are highly recognized.

What do you expect from distributors if they are interested in selling your products?

AFEPASA’s technical support department is working constantly with our distributors. That´s why we are always searching for distributors with good communication skills who can maintain the ongoing communication between farmers and AFEPASA. We need this because we want to help farmers use our products in the most effective ways, and in the case our products do not fit their needs, we have an R&D department that can develop new products to help them.

We know that each country is different, the needs of farmers are different, and there are local customs and laws that force us to adapt our products to each country.

This is why we need to maintain the constant dialogue between our distributors and farmers.

This interview was originally published in the magazine 2021 Biologicals Special. 

Click the picture below to download the magazine and find more reports on biopesticides, biostimulants and biofertilizers.